A Broken Sword
by Squibblez
Summary: A man from Zoro's past arrives suddenly from the sky. What is the secret behind Zoro and the man's relationship? Extreme angst and lovable comfort. Enjoy!
1. A Lost Relationship

_"Shunsuke." Zoro held his breath. "It's not worth it. Don't do it."_

_Zoro's friend spun around, holding a blade coated in thick, shiny blood. A smile of pure bliss washed up on Shunsuke's face that caused horrible, frightened shivers to run up Zoro's spine. Was his friend always so sadistic? Did he always have a sneer on his face when he killed others? Zoro stood, about to stop Shunsuke, but a pain sped up through his arm and he was once again brought to his knees, wincing with immense pain._

_"Zoro! Don't stand up." Shunsuke was suddenly back to his old self, trotting over to Zoro and kneeling beside him. "You're only hurting yourself. I'll get rid of the rest of them."_

_"Pirate Hunter Zoro! Prepare to face your inevitable death!" a pirate with enough courage and health stood and announced. Shunsuke stood and unsheathed the sword at his back, using his free hand to brush through his golden hair. Zoro stared up at his best friend, watching him cut down pirates. It took him quite a while to notice how his hands were trembling. Was Shunsuke doing this for Zoro? Or just for himself? Zoro cringed as his friend sliced an arm off. Zoro tightened his fists as his friend slashed at a body that was already a corpse. He was crazy. Insane. Was Shunsuke always like this?_

_Zoro breathed in, willing his body to move before Shunsuke cut down a child. "Shunsuke!" He stood and dashed forward, leaving his three swords at the ground before him. "STOP!" Blackness._

**XXX**

"…ro!"

Blood suddenly rushed through his body as his single eye snapped open. It pupil was as small as a pencil dot thanks to the bright sunlight that blinded him.

"… Zoro!"

Zoro's mind finally cleared as he heard Nami's voice. Yes, it was horribly annoying and high-pitched, but it reminded him where he was, even who he was. He yawned and sat up, Nami moving with him. Her long, fluffy hair bounced in front of her chest and Zoro frowned angrily at the sight. Why? Well, that was for him to know and for no one to ever find out.

"What is it?" he breathed, rubbing the sleep out of his eye. "Did Luffy get his head stuck between the railing again?" Asking that filled Zoro's entire being with relief. Yes, he was on the Sunny Go. He was with his nakama.

"Zoro… are you alright?" Nami asked, finally saying something. She gazed into his eye with concern. Thankfully, she was the only one around. He had been sleeping near the orange bush from Nami's home island, so Zoro figured she was checking up on her bush and just noticed him. And then, Nami leaned in and frowned, poking at his forehead.

"Oi, Zoro! If you have something to say, then say it!" she complained, but her intentions were good. Zoro whacked her arm away, which was to be expected so Nami didn't care much. He frowned at her antics and stood with a frustrated grunt; his katana clanging together all the while. Having dreams of the past? It was pretty pathetic if you asked Zoro. He was never the one to look back. He continued to look eternally forward until the day he was sent to his very grave.

"What gave you the idea I had something to say?" the swordsman crossed his muscular arms, creasing his dark green yukata. He blinked a couple times before realizing Nami had refused to answer him. She looked a bit concerned, but the expression faded after a couple seconds of staring at a sleepy Zoro.

Nami simply smiled. "Ah... no reason." And then bounced away. Zoro frowned for the fifth time since he woke and slowly made his way down the stairs towards the middle deck, which actually had grass growing, so it was actually quite comfortable. He made a mental note of where everyone was; Nami and Robin sunbathing... again, Luffy, Usopp, Brooke, and Franky were playing cards while Chopper watched with extreme amusement and the cook... well, who cared about that damned idiot? Thanks to Chopper and his sparkling eyes, it didn't take long for Zoro to get sucked into the card game as well. Yes, it confused the hell out of him, but whenever one of his crewmates made a boasting gesture, he knew they had gotten a point.

"Three aces, beat that!" Usopp announced, revealing his cards with a confident smile on his face. Zoro attempted to look over Chopper, but ever since the reindeer decided to plop himself on Zoro's lap, it was impossible to see any of the game.

"Oi, Chopper, you're in the-" Zoro began, but a quick whack in the face with a hoof was more than enough to shut him up.

"Usopp! You can do it! You're amazing!" Chopper encouraged, flailing his little furry arms around so much that it continued to smash into Zoro's nose, which indeed had started bleeding. Zoro smacked Chopper on the back of the head before he was able to get a seventh hit in.

"Heehee! Six aces! I win!" Luffy laughed, stretching his arm out in order to grab the cards out of Usopp's hands. Huh. Zoro always thought there were four aces to a deck, so...

"Cheater! Anyone with half a brain would know you cheated!" Brooke laughed, but Zoro frowned. He knew exactly what the skeleton was planning. "Ah. But I have no brain!" No duh.

"Luffy cheated! He's disqualified!" Chopper demanded, standing up on his hoofs, but still just as tall as a sitting Zoro.

"Did not!" Luffy defended himself with little effort.

"Did to!" Usopp threw in.

"Did not! Times a million!"

"Did to! Times a million plus one!"

Luffy went silent.

"Guys!" Zoro turned his head to see the cook at the lower deck's entrance, wearing a blue apron and holding a wooden spoon. "Lunch will be ready in five, so if you're not there, Luffy will eat all of it!"

Luffy cheered, clapping his hands and placed his sandals together, rocking back and forth. Zoro was amazed at how elated Luffy could get for extra food. Was he just a hungry person or a hungry raccoon?

"Will you be squeezing lime, as well, Cook-san?" Robin appeared on the upper deck, smiling and crossing her arms.

"Ah! Of course, Robin-chwan!" the ero-cook spun around, which made him look like a ballerina... or just a complete idiot. It seemed as if his eyes turned into two hearts. He shimmered up the small set of stairs in order to get closer to her, which made her giggle.

"Sanji! Can I have a glass of orange juice?" Zoro heard Nami call.

"Hai! Nami-swan!" the idiot cook added, pissing Zoro off. Nothing the cook did... **didn't** piss Zoro off. Although, despite the fact that they always fought and basically hated each other to the core, the cook was most definitely the best cook on board! No sarcasm intended. All of the comments about limes and oranges made the swordsman hungry, as well, and it also piqued his interest.

"What are you making?" Zoro asked, feeling his stomach rumble underneath his belly warmer. Sanji stopped swaying over the women and raised a curly eyebrow, turning to look at Zoro with a curious expression on his face.

"When have _you_ ever cared what I make, stupid marimo," Sanji insulted with a genuine smirk on his ugly face. The insult pissed Zoro off. The usual start of a bad fight.

"Since you made shit that gave me a headache, ero-cook," Zoro pushed back, standing up. Sanji stomped his way over to Zoro and grabbed his yukata, trying to be intimidating.

"What was that, you bastard? You wanna fight?"

Zoro smirked, as well. "You didn't hear me?"

In the midst of fighting, Zoro felt within him: relief. The dream of the past put the swordsman on edge. Talking with Nami, watching Luffy cheat, fighting with the damned cook… it all put his mind back in place. He was part of the Mugiwara crew, nothing more, nothing less. Ignoring the cheating, the yelling, and the fighting, it was actually quite a peaceful day on the Mugiwara's pirate ship. Unfortunately, peace never lasted long when it involved the Straw Hat crew.

"ZORO!"

The entire crew threw their heads up. Of course, all they saw was the bright blue sky with scarce clouds. Zoro, being the complicated person he was, spoke in the most complicated way he could think of; all his feelings summed up in two words, spoken with extreme care.

"The hell?" Zoro rested his left arm on the hilt of the white katana at his side.

Usopp shrugged and Luffy pointed upwards, grinning his usual, huge grin. "The sky called you, Zoro! OI! SKY! ZORO'S DOWN HERE!" Luffy screamed back, flailing his arms around and pointed at Zoro between each rest.

"NANI! The sky can talk!" Chopper screamed, flailing his own arms, or furry hoofs, as well. Usopp joined, too, but then Robin came down the steps from the top deck, sliding her sunglasses up onto her forehead, pulling her dark hair back.

"Swordsman-san, are you expecting someone?" Robin asked with a giggle and joined Nami, who had finally stood from tanning and was also looking vertically.

"Of course not!" Zoro replied, angry that someone as smart as Robin was playing along in such a stupid charade. The sky can't talk and that's that.

"Ah! I see something!" Franky announced, pointing towards something shiny that seemed miles up into the sky. The sun glinted off of the object, causing Zoro to wince his single eye. A shadow was finally looming over the Sunny Go, proving that the object was indeed falling. It got bigger and bigger until it became the shape of a human. Zoro squinted in order to see a little clearer. However, he felt his mind, once again fog up, when he recognized the golden hair and the unnaturally huge sword that was on the figure's back. His eye grew as wide as the moon and Zoro felt his heart skip a couple beats. It was…

The figure landed cruelly on Sunny, not far from where Usopp and Chopper were standing. The harsh impact caused Sunny to dip forward, tossing up some sea water, and rocked back and forth. Usopp and Chopper tumbled forward, knocking into each other, while the rest of the Straw Hat crew, even Nami, was able to stay balanced. The figure stood up straight when the Sunny Go finally rested and continued to move according to the wind pattern. The man was garbed in a dark blue cloak that covered all but his head, which had shaggy blonde hair and a sword that resembled a two-handed broadsword hung on his back at an angle. The man lifted his head and used his hand to run through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes, revealing a grin of incredible happiness.

"Yo! Zoro!" he chimed, paying no attention to the other confused pirates.

Zoro breathed in. "… Shunsuke."

* * *

><p><strong>So... how was it? Please comment! I've just gotten over writer's block! Help me out and R&amp;R! Also, I just recently changed up this chapter a bit, so feel free to read it over! I bet you'll think its better!<strong>


	2. A Forgotten Promise

"So, how long have you known Zoro?" Nami asked politely, sipping at the tea that the perverted cook made for everyone. Shunsuke smiled and threw his arm over Zoro's shoulders, which made the green-haired swordsman almost fall face-first on the ground. Shunsuke's sword made him weigh more than two tons.

"Oh, for just about ever, I suppose! We grew up together and I was his mate when he was slaying pirates!" Shunsuke replied, leaning against Zoro as if for support. Zoro's eyebrow twitched in annoyance that Shunsuke, who was no doubt stronger than himself, made Zoro hold up his immense weight. Of course, it was hard to admit the fact that Shunsuke was more skilled than Zoro, but it took a real swordsman to know when he'd lose a fight. Battling with confidence and battling recklessly were two completely different things.

"I would certainly love to know how you arrived on our ship from the sky," said Robin, obviously as curious as everyone else in the room, except for Zoro, of course. Shunsuke also had a surprised expression, as if he wondered why they would ask such a thing.

He grinned. "Oh, that? Well, I can fly." He answered as if it were obvious. "I have the Tsubasa Tsubasa no Mi (Wing Wing Fruit)," he added.

"That's pretty convenient, isn't it?" the ero-cook stated, who actually seemed interested in something other than women. He was cooking something on the stove and the smell of spicy flavors and a hint of lime filled Zoro's nostrils. Ah, he was hungrier than he had originally thought. He was planning on yelling at the idiot cook for taking so damn long, but kept his mouth shut because of the arrival of his old friend.

"Haha! I suppose!" Shunsuke snorted, but paused to look back at Zoro, who had just crossed his arms. "What's gotten into you, Zoro? A few years ago I couldn't shut you up!"

"What are you doing here, Shunsuke?" Zoro almost interrupted. He spoke clear and free of all emotion. Shunsuke seemed taken aback for a moment; surprised Zoro would ask such an oblivious question. In all honestly, Zoro was glad to see his old friend again, but due to the circumstances of their last parting… Zoro was curious to know why Shunsuke had come to find him.

"Can't a man just visit an old friend? What's wrong with that?" Shunsuke released his hold on Zoro in order to look him straight in his eyes. However, of course, Zoro had only one. Once Shunsuke realized it, the tone in the lower deck changed dramatically. Shunsuke no longer emitted a cheerful air about him. It had turned dark and almost frightening. Nami's face faded into a light pale and the cook stopped shuffling around veggies on the pan. Zoro frowned at the sudden change, but didn't show any changes himself. Yes, he was used to this kind of atmosphere. Shunsuke's eyes were wide with concern and despaired surprise.

"Zoro…" Shunsuke reached up and gently placed his pointer and middle finger along the faint scarred line that travelled down Zoro's left eye. Shunsuke was hunched over, as if to gaze at the permanent marking at eye level, and breathed in slowly. As he did so, the darkness of the room lifted and was replaced with a kind of sadness only that of a true friend could bring to the table. The Straw Hats relaxed, but having someone touch his face definitely put Zoro on the fritz. He reached up, only to whack away Shunsuke's wrist.

"What… happened? Are you alright?" Shunsuke asked, sadness and concern coating his expression and his voice. It hurt Zoro, despite how his face looked the same as ever; pissed off with a frown. He felt as if his chest was constricting itself. Why? Shunsuke was such a kind and gentle human being. Why was there such a frightening sword hanging from his back?

"It happened two years ago, don't worry about it," Zoro answered with a monotone voice, never looking away from Shunsuke.

"Must've been some helluva training session, huh, marimo?" the cook lit his cigarette and placed it on his lips. Even though his words were annoying, the tone in his voice showed that he… cared which made Zoro almost sick to his stomach. Zoro was about to reply with a snide comment, but Luffy came running, rather stomping, down the stairs.

"Oi! Sanji! Is the meat ready?" Luffy asked loudly with a toothy grin on his face. Zoro stole a glance at the cook, hoping to God that it was. Not only could he not stand any more about the others worrying about him, but he was as hungry as hell.

The cook smiled back and rolled up his sleeves. "Just about! Get everyone else down here."

"Yosh!" And with that, Luffy was trotting back up the stairs.

"Why don't you stay for lunch, Shunsuke-san?" Robin suggested, helping the cook set the large table and removing some used coffee cups. "I'm not sure how tiring flying can be, but as long as it's fine with Cook-san…"

"Of course it's fine, Robin-CHWAN!" ero-cook gasped, dropping everything in order to sway over the archeologist, who merely giggled in reply. Shunsuke smiled.

"That would be wonderful! How kind you all are!"

Zoro released a sigh before once again crossing his arms and leaning back further in his chair. It was gonna be one helluva lunch.

**XXX**

Usopp couldn't take his eyes off of Shunsuke. "Damn…"

"Damn" was the perfect statement. There were bowls and bowls piled up before Shunsuke, yet he was still gobbling up for more. Surprisingly, he was eating just as much as Luffy was, who was also stuffing food in his huge, rubber cheeks. Zoro wondered where the hell they put all that crap.

"Oi, oi… we're gonna be running low on food again if you two keep eating," ero-cook complained, although Zoro agreed with him for once.

"Yohohoho! I don't have half as much stomach as Luffy-san!" Another one of Brooke's typical skeleton jokes. "Ah! But I have no stomach at all!"

Shunsuke suddenly choked, but after coughing, which had caused complete silence, he stood and slammed his fists down on the table. "A SKELETON?"

"YOU'RE JUST NOW NOTICING THAT?" Zoro yelled back, his teeth turning into sharp canines. The Straw Hat crew, excluding Zoro, laughed cheerfully, happy to have a guest who was so funny with them. However, from his standing position, Shunsuke noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He set his fork and knife down on the table and walked over to the window. The lower deck, which held the cabin rooms and the kitchen, was below the surface of the sea, so you could see straight into the ocean from the few windows.

"What's that?" Shunsuke asked with a mouth full of food and pressed his finger against the chilly crisp glass.

"What's what?" Nami asked, standing up as well and moving behind Shunsuke, trying to peer over his broad shoulders. It didn't take long for Nami to let out a screech and tumble backwards, tripping over a bucket, but the idiot cook quickly leapt up to catch her. Like many stupid women, Zoro presumed, Nami didn't bother thanking the idiot. It might've been because she was so afraid, but Zoro didn't have that term in his vocabulary. Funnily enough, Shunsuke hadn't even moved an inch, but continued to gaze out the window with a quizzical look on his face.

"Ah?" Luffy stifled out between a bite of bread.

"What is it?" Franky asked, fixing his sunglasses to get a better look, but even a cyborg couldn't see through wall, so Zoro didn't understand why he was focusing so hard. Chopper ran over and crawled up Shunsuke's back, only to scream and fall back; the same as Nami.

"It's… It's a herd of Sea Kings!" Chopper yelled, all the color draining out of his furry face. Zoro noticed a smile coming from the cook.

"Looks like we won't be running out of food!" he laughed, unrolling his sleeves and standing from his seat. Luffy finished just in time to become excited about more food.

"Yosh! Everyone! On deck! Let's get us some MEAT!" captain cheered, raising a fist.

"**DON'T YOU THINK OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN FOOD?"**

Back on the middle deck, where the ocean winds could breeze in and out, everyone was preparing to fight, except Shunsuke, Zoro, Usopp, Nami, and Chopper. Were they just lazy-asses? The world may never know. However, everyone did know that Usopp's knees were shaking like crazy, despite his upper body that looked rock-hard, Chopper was clinging to Zoro's knee, and Nami was gripping the railing so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"Haha! Why do you look so scared, Usopp-kun?" Shunsuke laughed, patting Usopp's back, which made him jump.

"M-Me? You're k-k-kidding! I'm a br-brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp countered, pounding his chest with a fist. Zoro released a sigh. 'Brave'? More like 'idiotic'. However, once he stepped forward and took out his slingshot, Zoro had doubts about his thoughts. Usopp really had changed, hadn't he? The Straw Hat's sniper really had become the warrior of the sea he had always hoped to be.

"Well, I'll take care of them for you, if you'd like," Shunsuke offered with a smile.

"Yosh. You can do it." Usopp slapped Shunsuke's shoulder encouragingly while taking multiple steps back.

"LIES! He's scared!" Chopper yelled, pointing a hoof at Usopp, who was whistling and looking at a different direction. "Stop pretending like you're not listening!"

"Here they come!" Franky yelled over the sound of the intense waves building up. Shunsuke stepped in front of Zoro and whispered something only he could hear.

"I won't let you get hurt like that again… Zoro." And with that, he continued walking and slowly reached for the gigantic sword that was hanging from his back. Zoro felt his body stiffen. With annoyance? No. Maybe anger? Not quite. His emotions, even to himself, were unreadable. Shunsuke was so kind. Why was he taking a tainted sword in hand?

"Why don't you let us take care of these for you, Swordsman-kun? They can be a real handful," Robin smiled gently at Shunsuke, but he replied only with a wide grin. He walked passed her, passed the cook, Brooke, Franky, and then Luffy, who was winding up a rubber punch, but paused to watch Shunsuke.

"Everyone! Move to my right!" Shunsuke announced with a huge grin and completely unsheathed his sword. The instant that he did, the ocean shook. Zoro froze in mid-step. Was it the sword's power or Shunsuke's power? Either one… it was horribly frightening. The sword's apex gleamed underneath the bright sunlight once Shunsuke lifted it above his head.

"_Ten-gouka (Wrath of Hell's Fire)!_" Shunsuke titled as the countless Sea Kings came into view. They were all charging for the ship under water, only revealing their dorsal fins above the surface. Shunsuke then swung downwards. The title was a perfect fit for the attack. A black fire was emitted from the vertical swing that grew larger and larger as it travelled through the air. A part of the attack had actually hit the left side of Sunny Go, which made Franky and Usopp yell in agony. The midnight black fire suddenly changed direction and went down into the water, resulting in the splash of a lifetime. Zoro, watching the fire, despite the giant wave of sea water heading their way, noticed how it had cruelly sliced the very necks of the Sea Kings in a single slice.

The wave toppled over Sunny, at least getting rid of the small amount of black flames that had caught the railing and a bit of the grass, but the risks were far worse than the benefits. The wave was much too fast to avoid, so every single Devil Fruit user was pretty much screwed. The wave smashed into Zoro, crushing the air out of him as he slammed against the back of Sunny.

With the little air he had left, Zoro yelled, "C-Cook! Grab them before they drown!"

The cook was pinned against the larger mast before the rushing water, trying to break free. "Idiot marimo! I already know that!"

It didn't take long for the water to rush over Zoro's head, so he took one last gulp of air before going under the water. He opened his single eye and the first he noticed was Chopper, flailing his little arms, trying to swim, but was suddenly overcome by weakness. Zoro swam as fast as he could, against the current of the chaotic water and managed to grab Chopper by his blue bag. The second he was able to, he immediately went back up to retrieve air and threw Chopper up onto the upper deck, where he laid gasping for breath next to Robin, Nami, and Usopp. Franky easily made his way through the water, laying Brooke next to the three of them, as well.

Before the cook and Zoro could find everyone, the rushing water spilled over the other side of the ship. Zoro looked around frantically.

"Shit! Where's Luffy?" he asked angrily to himself. Had Zoro… failed him? No matter how strong his captain was, he had eaten a Devil Fruit, which meant he would always lose to the sea, no matter how hard he tried. "CAPT-!"

"Oi! Everyone!"

Zoro's head bolted up and he saw with great relief that Shunsuke was in the sky, holding a grinning Luffy.

The cook laughed, obviously weak of mind thanks to the scare their captain gave them. "… Luffy!"

Shunsuke landed softly on Sunny this time and set Luffy down, sheathing his sword. "Haha! Sorry!"

"SORRY? YOU ALMOST KILLED US!" Usopp, Nami, and Chopper yelled at the same time. Zoro gave his famous smirk and crossed his arms, soaking wet. Had he known Shunsuke would do something stupid? Yes, he had. But to that level? No, he hadn't. His old friend had only gotten stronger since they last saw each other. Thankfully, with incredibly hard effort, so had Zoro.

Shunsuke dusted off his hands and smiled. "Well, now that that's over…" He reached out for Zoro's hand, which rested confusingly at the swordsman's side.

"What?" Zoro asked as his crewmates were gathering themselves again; coughing, hacking, fixing hair, etc.

"What do you mean, 'what'? Aren't you coming with me?" Shunsuke said, confused as well. The entire crew stopped pulling themselves together and looked up at Shunsuke's extended hand. Despite his gratefulness that Shunsuke had saved him, Luffy looked up with the most anger.

Luffy had a surprised and concerned tone in his voice. "… eh?"

**END OF CHAPTER TWO **

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><p><strong>Well, that's all for chapter two! Yay! Its quite long, so bare with me on this. Again, comments are greatly appreciated! Oh! And I don't own anything of and about One Piece! Nothing!<strong>


	3. A New Enemy

"…eh?" Luffy muttered in the midst of setting the straw hat back on his head. Zoro stood, wondering what the hell Shunsuke meant. Shunsuke stood patiently, a huge grin glued to his face.

"What the hell are you talking about, Shunsuke?" Zoro simply came out with it. He remembered every day he spent with his old friend, but never once did he agree to travel with him… right? No, that was impossible. Zoro's question removed the smile from Shunsuke's face almost instantly.

"… Have you forgotten, Zoro?" Shunsuke dropped his hand and it dangled loosely at his side. His voice sounded so soft and gentle. Zoro cold immediately tell he had hurt his friend. But how? He didn't remember anything that had to do with leaving with Shunsuke. "I'm surprised that even you have forgotten a promise that meant everything to me."

Zoro took a step forward and opened his mouth to say something, but after a mere blink, Shunsuke was already within arm's reach. With an eye filled with surprise, Zoro noticed that Shunsuke had placed his finger tips on the white katana on Zoro's hip; Kuina's sword.

"You keep your promises, right, Zoro?" Shunsuke spoke clearly and gently, showing that he was desperate and believed with all his body and mind that Zoro had truly spoke of such a promise. Zoro, being quite tall to begin with, looked up at Shunsuke, never losing his concerned frown.

"Oi… it's not your say whether or not Zoro goes with you," Franky forced his way into the conversation with a serious tone in his voice.

Zoro turned towards the cyborg with a cold expression on his face. Much colder than usual, anyways. "Don't interfere, Franky."

When Zoro turned back towards Shunsuke, his soft gaze grew hard, as if he were holding himself back from doing something. Zoro took notice to the sudden tension his muscles just recently had become. Shunsuke's face… it suddenly brought back those lost memories…

**XXX**

_"Shunsuke!" He stood and dashed forward, leaving his three swords at the ground before him. "STOP!" Blackness. It felt only like a few seconds before Zoro felt he had closed his eyes. He awoke slowly, noticing how someone was holding up his head while his body remained on the ground. _

"_Zoro!" Shunsuke called with great relief in his voice. A smile filled with forgotten worry was plastered to his face. "You're alright! Thank goodness!"_

_Zoro sat up with a wince, but managed. It didn't take him long to realize that his shoulder had a deep wound. Had Shunsuke done this to him? Zoro figured it was true. He had to protect the child, with his own body, if he had to. _

"_Gomen," Zoro heard Shunsuke whisper. "Gomen… Zoro!" Shunsuke sat with his hands gripping at his trembling knees. "If… If it wasn't for me… Gomen!"_

_Zoro said nothing, understanding what Shunsuke was going through. They had trained all of their life together, but unlike Zoro, Shunsuke had never had a true battle where it was kill or be killed. Zoro brought him into such a battle. In all honesty, if it weren't for Zoro… Shunsuke wouldn't have been taken over by his murderous instincts. Such a kind person should never have to kill someone else. _

"_Don't apologize, Shunsuke," Zoro said with an even tone as he stared off into the distance. They were still aboard the pirate ship, so close to a hundred corpses were surrounding the two swordsmen. "Damnit… if I just didn't bring you along, you'd have been-!" _

"_Don't you dare apologize!" Shunsuke yelled, cutting Zoro off. His face was full of sadness and tears were welling up in his eyes. "Even after you were my only friend back at the dojo… you only wanted to show me my dream! You only wanted to show me the ocean!" Tears then spilled out of Shunsuke's eyes and his hand immediately went to cover his face. Zoro reached up, gently grabbed his wrist, and brought down his hand, revealing a tearful, snotty face. Shunsuke didn't understand why Zoro had apologized, but Zoro was going to be sure never to tell him. For if he did, Shunsuke might break. That's how fragile he was. Even though he was a swordsman, even though he was a man, sometimes… it's alright to be sensitive. _

"_Shunsuke, listen to me," Zoro spoke clearly without any hesitation. "This injury wasn't your fault; it was mine, because I wasn't strong enough. And-" _

"_But-!" Shunsuke tried, but a quick glare from Zoro shut him up._

"_And… don't make a big deal out of nothing. My wound will heal," Zoro continued. "Also, I never want to see you pick up a sword again." Zoro ignored the intense, sharp pain his injury was giving him and took the bloodied katana from Shunsuke's hand. His eyes glazed over the blade. He was as angry as hell. With a grunt, he threw the sword overboard. _

"_Wait, Zoro! How can I protect you without a sword?" Shunsuke asked, running to the edge of the wavering ship and watched the sword sink to the bottom of the ocean. Zoro couldn't continue thanks to the wound on his shoulder, which was only getting worse and worse. He leaned against the railing of the ship and let out a pained groan, but managed to talk a bit more. _

"_Shunsuke, swords don't protect. They can't. All they can do is kill," Zoro even revealed a weak smirk. "Although, I have to say that I like your version a lot better."_

_They were silent for a while. It was a silence of the harsh truth. Almost half an hour had passed until Shunsuke finally walked back to Zoro, who was sleeping and snoring. Shunsuke reached down and poked Zoro's cheek, waking him up groggily. _

"_N-Nani…. What is it? Are we at an island, yet?" Zoro muttered, lifting his head just enough to see Shunsuke with a huge grin on his face. Huh. What a dramatic change of pace. Zoro also noticed how Shunsuke's pinky finger was extended towards him. _

"_We're gonna make a promise, Zoro! Because I know how good you are at keeping them," Shunsuke told, the grin never disappearing from his face. "One day, when I'm strong enough to protect you, you'll travel with me!"_

"_If you have to protect me, then how the hell am I supposed to become the greatest swordsman?" Zoro asked impatiently, breathing out and then coughed with another wince. The pain was slowly fading away, but damn did it hurt like hell. His shoulder was soaked with his blood. Sleep started to overcome him again, but he managed to stay awake._

"_Then… when I'm strong enough, you'll take me to see the ocean again!"_

"_Can't… I'll already be in the Grand Line," Zoro answered weakly, slowly closing his eyes and then forcing them open again. _

"_Fine! When I'm strong enough, I'll come find you in the Grand Line, and we'll both travel together to find One Piece!"_

_Zoro felt his mind beginning to fog, so before he shut his eyes for much longer than the last time, he raised his pinky to Shunsuke's. _

_He produced a weak smile. "It's… a promise." _

_Shunsuke and Zoro locked pinky fingers and the last thing Zoro heard before his mind faded to black was Shunsuke's joyful laugh._

**XXX **

Zoro came back to reality and was staring straight at Shunsuke's face.

"You remember now, don't you, Zoro?" Shunsuke said, replacing his frown with a happy grin. Shunsuke could tell everything about Zoro, which pissed him off. Not only did that piss him off, but Zoro's eye made its way to the sword on Shunsuke's back.

"You bastard…" Zoro muttered angrily, catching Shunsuke off-guard. "What the hell did I tell you about picking up a sword? I told you to never hold another weapon again!" Zoro stomped forward and grabbed Shunsuke by his collar, bringing him in close. "Damnit, Shunsuke! Why should I keep a promise if you broke yours?"

Shunsuke was silent. He was looking down so his golden hair was covering his eyes. Zoro was silent, glaring up at his old friend with an angry frown. Zoro was too wrapped up in his conversation with Shunsuke that he hadn't noticed his crewmates watching them from afar.

"… Zoro," Shunsuke suddenly broke the silence. His voice was low with warning, which made Zoro's eye widen at the hostility his friend had. "Does this mean you don't plan on coming with me?"

Zoro frowned, letting go of Shunsuke's cloak. "… what?"

The following moment was a blur. Zoro remembered looking up at Shunsuke, but a sharp pain jolted the back of his neck. Obviously, the blow was supposed to knock him out. However, due to the force of the blow, he tumbled forward, skidding on the ground as if he were a rock skipping on water. The attack had most definitely shattered a bone.

"ZORO!" Luffy yelled through angrily clenched teeth. His captain darted forward, just in time to catch Zoro before he flipped off the ship. The momentum caused Luffy to be thrown back, as well, but not as fast. The railing had stopped them, thankfully. Zoro wobbled to his feet as Luffy helped him, gripping the back of his neck. Luffy was too angry to ask Chopper to take care of Zoro.

"… You bastard!" Luffy yelled, however, Shunsuke only ignored him.

"If you won't come, I suppose I'll have to make you," Shunsuke said, turning around with a sadistic, frightening smile on his face as he ran his hand through his golden, shaggy hair.

**END OF CHAPTER THREE **


	4. A Painful Wound

"O-Oi… L-Luffy! What's going on here?" Usopp came prodding down the stairs, gripping the railing for dear life. Nami eagerly shoved him out of the way, causing poor Long-Nose to tumble down the steps straight onto the floor.

"Shunsuke-kun! You can't make Zoro go with you!" Nami pleaded with absolutely no hesitation. Zoro stared at her with his single eye. She had most definitely changed since they had split up. Normally, she'd be just as scared as Usopp. However, in this case, Zoro didn't want anybody to stand up for him. He was a swordsman, Damnit!

"No one interfere!" Zoro yelled angrily, still holding the back of his neck. After cursing, Luffy had remained quiet. Zoro knew he'd understand. Sadly, it'd be much harder for the rest of his crew to understand, too. "This is between Shunsuke and me!"

Shunsuke took a few steps forward and shrugged, the sadist grin never leaving his expression. "There is no _'this'_, Zoro. You made a promise, so now you're going to keep it, whether I have to drag you there or not."

Zoro snorted. "Huh, really? And what do you plan on doing once we arrive on your ship? You really think I'll give up by then?"

Shunsuke stopped walking and scratched his cheek quizzically. He honestly seemed to be thinking about it, which kind of pissed Zoro off. Actually, the whole situation kind of pissed him off. It was his fault for showing Shunsuke the violent side of life, but Damnit! He told him never to hold another sword again! In the midst of thinking, Shunsuke finally let out a hardy laugh with a toothy grin.

"Haha! I know!" he laughed, but he suddenly reached up to grab the hilt of his sword. His eyes slowly opened, revealing his murderous expression. "I'll just cut your legs off."

It was at that moment where Zoro's instincts kicked into gear. He reached for his black katana, unsheathed it, and he suddenly blocked an attack that went for his thighs. The kick-back of Shunsuke's sword sent an incredibly uncomfortable vibration through Zoro's body. Shunsuke bent forward, suddenly in Zoro's face; within a few inches. A smile that expressed horror and despair was glued to his face with eyes that were just barely open.

Shunsuke and Zoro were straining against each other's swords, causing sparks from the steel to pop and crackle.

"You bastard… that'd kill me!" Zoro yelled, trying to talk some sense into his friend.

"If you've survived from losing an eye and a deep slash on your stomach, I doubt that losing your legs will kill you," Shunsuke spoke as if it was worth a shot. As if it was worth a shot! He really was insane… Zoro's old friend had fallen into the madness of killing.

"He's… He's crazy…" Zoro heard Nami whisper, which he focused all his attention on, dropping his guard. Shunsuke took that as his advantage and lifted a fist. Zoro ducked underneath the punch; just in time to remove his katana from clashing against Shunsuke's and bent so close to the ground that one might mistake him for just lying on the ground. Shunsuke's obvious weak spot was the weight of his sword. Zoro brought back his katana and took a swing at Shunsuke's stomach, trying hard _not_ to hold back, but this was his friend he was talking about. One wrong move and he might accidentally kill him! Or… it might be the other way around.

It took Zoro a full second to realize he was suddenly pinned on the ground, Shunsuke's sword just next to his head, stuck in the ground.

"Wh-What the hell?" Zoro muttered in between gasps of air. Shunsuke was above him, a foot planting Zoro on the ground of Sunny Go.

"You're slow, Zoro!" Shunsuke teased with a laugh. "I guess this'll be easier than I thought." He lifted his two ton sword and aimed it at Zoro's right leg.

"ZORO!" he heard Chopper cry. What the hell was he doing? There was no way he could've been beaten this easily! Zoro then realized that he'd never be able to kill Shunsuke. Not because he was too weak, but because he'd unconsciously hold back. This was Zoro's fault. Zoro showed Shunsuke how to fight… how to kill. And so they did. Together. However, sometimes, those who are new to killing begin to enjoy the smell of dead corpses around them. Those people are weak, just like Shunsuke. It was Zoro's fault for bringing a weak friend out into the world of death and despair. Zoro couldn't kill someone who had done such good to the world… but had fallen due to himself. Zoro closed his eyes, waiting for his inevitable punishment.

That was when something long and rubbery stretched out in order to punch Shunsuke in the face, but the golden-haired swordsman easily dodged the blow. However, this made Shunsuke lift his foot off of Zoro's back, giving him an opening. Zoro immediately jumped up and letting out a battle cry, he sliced Shunsuke across the arm, just nipping him. Shunsuke stumbled forward, grabbing his arm and leaned against the railing.

"Zoro, you…!" Shunsuke cursed, but then he released his arm and looked at his hand. On it was his own blood. Despite the injury, a low laughter was slowly making its way out of Shunsuke's mouth. A few seconds later and a laughter as loud as a whale's song echoed throughout the ocean. It was a horrible, frightening laughter. Shunsuke reached up and covered his eyes with the hand that was soaked in his blood. He threw his head back and released a couple more seconds of the bone-chilling laughter.

Zoro stared with a wide, trembling eye. Was he afraid? Hell no. But… all Zoro could think about was the small, annoying, blonde-haired kid who visited the dojo every day with a toothy grin always on his face. And now… _that. _Zoro frowned at the ugly sight. When Shunsuke finally stopped and removed his hand to look down at Zoro, his blood had dripped onto his face. The sight of blood had… virtually reawakened his love of killing.

"Shunsuke," Zoro said, trying to stay calm. "You don't have to-!"

A searing pain suddenly spread through Zoro's leg and blood had suddenly spurted into the air. Zoro's heart was pounding in his head. Had he… lost his leg? As he fell backwards, time slowed to a crawl. Through his single eye, as he was curling up, he saw that Shunsuke's sword had pierced his left leg. No, he hadn't cut the entire limb off, but it certainly felt like it did. Shunsuke's sword was almost as wide as two of Zoro's swords put together, so, yes, it did feel like his leg had come off. A painful, terrifying scream of agony escaped Zoro's lips as his back hit the wooden ground beneath him. Blood had immediately started to coat the ground, creating a puddle of red liquid.

Zoro heard his name being called over and over, but it all seemed to merge together, just like the colors of what he saw. His blurred vision and earshot made everything look like it was merging and his mind began to leave him again. During his languid thoughts and feelings, a boy entered his mind, as clear as day. It was Shunsuke as a child. He was running with a grin on his face and his eyes were happily closed underneath his shaggy golden hair. His clothes were much too big for him, but Zoro didn't care. His thoughts, sights, and hearings began to muddle and his mind faded to black.

**XXX**

"_Do you have a dream, Zoro?" Shunsuke asked, looking up into the sky with a sad smile upon his face. He was rocking his legs back and forth over the edge of the grassy cliff, as was Zoro. Zoro turned towards him and felt the sudden need to burst out laughing. _

"_Heh. Me? You gotta be kidding." Zoro crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He actually never really thought about it before. "I guess… I guess I wanna get stronger."_

_Shunsuke looked at Zoro. "Really? That's cool! Guess what I wanna do!"_

"_Cut that ugly hair of yours?"_

_Shunsuke laughed, but then it faded away into yet another warm smile as he gazed at the descending sun. "No… I wanna see the ocean."_

_Zoro snorted. "Well, that was fast. There it is." Zoro pointed just below them; at the waves that tried climbing the cliff, but it was much too high. _

"_No! I want to be __**in **__it! I want to __**smell **__it! I want to travel in it! It's so vast! And it has so many creatures that I've never even heard about before!" As Shunsuke spoke of his dream, his eyes were as large as the moon and as bright as the sun. Zoro had never seen his friend act like that, but it was actually heart-warming. However, one comment made Zoro laugh loudly._

"_Smell it? Haha! Isn't that a little weird?" Zoro slapped Shunsuke on the shoulder with a funny smile on his face. "It'll probably just smell like the nasty old water we always fetch for Sensei!" _

"_Will not!" Shunsuke defended._

"_Will to!"_

"_Will not!"_

"_Will-!"_

_Kuina suddenly smacked Zoro on the side of his head, almost causing him to fall off the cliff._

"_What was that for, you idiot?" Zoro yelled, holding the small bump on his head and turned around to face the warrior girl. She had her hands on her hips with a look expressing complete arrogance and superiority._

"_You boys are the idiots! Dad told you to be back __**before **__sunset! Not after!" she yelled as if she were ready to smack Shunsuke, too. The two boys sprang to their feet and started running before Kuina could get another hit in._

"_Looks like you're gonna get in trouble, too! Nyaha!" Zoro turned around just in time to stick his tongue out at Kuina, who turned pink with furious rage and embarrassment. _

"_Hurry, Zoro! She's gonna kill us!" Shunsuke cried, running into the forest, followed by Zoro._

"_I'M GONNA KILL YOU TWO!" Kuina's angry shout echoed throughout the land as the moon began to rise over the horizon._

**XXX**

Zoro opened his eye slowly, allowing the flood of sunlight to enter his sight without squinting. For some reason, he felt much too weak to sit up. Hell, he could hardly twitch.

"Ah! Zoro! Thank goodness!"

The terms that the voice used suddenly reminded Zoro of Shunsuke, which sent a wave of memories into his thoughts. He remembered how Shunsuke had tried to cut his leg off! This caused Zoro to react, despite his inability to feel anything below his hips. He bolted upright, but a pain that was almost as bad as the attack that caused the injury stopped him. Thankfully, this time, he held in his horrified scream of agony by shutting his mouth and letting out painful grunts as he fell back down on his pillow.

"You idiot! You opened the wound again!" Chopper yelled, rushing around the room to fetch herbal medicines and bandages. The little reindeer was pretty fast on his hooves when time was of the essence. After a few seconds of the pain, Zoro felt the sheets that covered his body were beginning to feel wet. He opened his eye again and saw that blood was seeping through the sheets. Ah, shit.

Chopper yanked off the sheets in order to proceed with the surgery and despite Zoro's ability to face his fears, he dared not to look at his injury. Chopper was amazing to be able to see such a thing. After Chopper had re-bandaged Zoro's lower thigh, which no doubt had hundreds of stitches on it, the pain was slowly ebbing away.

"Here, drink this," Chopper offered Zoro a small glass of something purple. Chopper, being the amazing doctor he was, showed Zoro that he should take anything Chopper gave him, because it'd only make him feel better. Zoro took the glass and swallowed the odd liquid in one gulp, wiping his mouth thereafter. He closed his eyes and attempted to relax, but it was almost impossible.

"How long have I been asleep?" Zoro asked weakly, looking around the medical bay. It seemed to be morning, but last he remembered; it was almost night time.

Chopper began to clean up the area around Zoro; getting rid of old bandages and medicines and medical tools. The reindeer decided not to look up at Zoro when he spoke.

"Three days," he answered, fixing the over-sized hat on his head so that Zoro wasn't able to see his eyes. Chopper waddled over to the bed and fixed Zoro's pillow so that he could sit up, but fall asleep if need be. Zoro didn't want to ask, but he knew he had to.

"Chopper…" Zoro breathed. "Where's Shunsuke?"

"He left." Zoro was a bit surprised by how fast Chopper answered. Chopper opened up a few drawers and placed the medical tools in there for future uses. "You should keep resting."

"Wait, Chopper," Zoro suddenly forgot about his injury and attempted to move his legs, but stopped immediately before he got half a centimeter of movement as the searing pain returned. He winced and he unconsciously grabbed his left thigh, only injuring it more.

"Zoro! Stop!" Chopper ran forward and took Zoro's hand off his leg. "Let the bandage do its work! If you open the wound again, it might not close."

That was enough to keep Zoro's hands off for quite some time. There was no way in hell he was going to die from internal blood loss. He leaned back on his fluffy pillow, deciding not to question any further. His mind was beginning to fog up once again and his eye felt heavy. Chopper waddled over and lifted the sheets further up on Zoro's body, comforting him.

"… Sleep," Chopper demanded, and that was good enough for Zoro. He allowed his eye to close and then his world went black.

**END OF CHAPTER FOUR**

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><p><strong>Woot! End of chapter four! Jeez, this is really gonna be a long one, huh? I've finally gotten over my writers block, so yay! Please comment! They always make my day! Oh! And just a heads up for those of you who are following this story (which is a lot!), you've all made me so happy that once I'm done writing this story, I want an idea for my next one! If you have an idea, go ahead and send me a PM! Just say, "Hey, Squibby! I gots a fantastical idea for your not story!" Sorry, but yes, I want it to be strictly related to Zoro. That guy is just too damn awesome for anyone's own good. Thanks and R&amp;R!<strong>


	5. The Bond of Two Nakama

**Alright, so this is a super-duper short chapter, but its kind of sad, so bare with me, here! We're coming to a close on this story, so wish the Straw Hat crew good luck! Enjoy! Oh, and please R&R!**

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><p>"SANJI! MEAT!" Zoro heard Luffy announce, shaking the entire ship. Zoro had been lying on his bed for quite a while. It was his second time waking from his injury. He didn't know the time or the day, but he could easily look out the window and say that it was almost dusk. He even began to feel that life was passing him. With a painful wince, Zoro sat upright, attempting to make no noise at all, but failed. Thankfully, the noise was only a faint squeak accompanied with a grimace. His leg really had gotten better. Chopper was simply amazing.<p>

He slowly but surely threw his legs over the side of the bed and sat there for what felt like an hour. He was still recovering, so movement might've not been the best thing. Two crutches that were leaned on the side of his bed caught his attention and he couldn't help but smirk.

Chopper knew him so well.

Struggling but managed, Zoro nudged the door open with his elbow. No matter how anyone looked at it, using crutches was extremely challenging. He decided to leave his katana back in the medical bay, because he was sure that was where he was going to end up soon enough. Underneath his newly cleaned, dark green yukata, his left leg was wrapped up entirely with medical bandages, from his hip to his ankle, so Robin had most definitely cut that pant leg off, but left the pant leg for his right leg on. She was the only person Zoro knew that could sew.

Zoro arrived slowly on the middle deck, where Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Brooke were playing cards. Again. How could a set of 52 pieces of paper keep someone entertained for that damn long? It took Luffy about half a second to notice Zoro wobbling over to them.

"Ah! Zoro!" Luffy laughed gleefully, slamming his cards down on the ground with a huge grin on his face. He stood up and began to charge towards Zoro with his arms spread out. Zoro yelled, trying to stop his captain by it, but it was in vain. Luffy was about a foot away from Zoro, preparing a hug, but Chopper quickly got between the two of them, with his own arms spread out to protect Zoro.

"Luffy! Don't! You're only going to make him worse!" At Chopper's truthful words, Luffy skidded to a stop. He fixed the hat on his head and only silence followed. Memories of Shunsuke flooded the minds of every Straw Hat. Zoro, despite his own sadness, took the silence at his advantage.

"What happened, captain?" Zoro used the term captain in order to show he was serious. He wanted to know… He wanted to know where Shunsuke went.

"He left." Luffy answered, just how Chopper had answered, so this pissed Zoro off.

"Do you really think I won't be able to handle the truth?" Zoro's tone was much louder than he had intended, which made his crewmates turn to face him. "Where the hell is Shunsuke? Luffy!"

"HE LEFT!"

Zoro froze at his captain's intense anger. It was extremely hard to get Luffy that upset. It was then that the cook appeared from the lower deck with an apron on. The sun began to disappear below the horizon and the moon began to rise.

"We made a deal."

Zoro turned towards the cook, who lit a cigarette and blew the smoke out of his mouth. His eyes were hidden underneath his blonde bangs, but he scratched his brown, stubbly beard.

"What the hell does that mean?" Zoro narrowed his eyes at the perverted cook. Shunsuke seemed pretty damned determined to get Zoro, so what kind of deal did they make that could make him leave?

"Sanji…!" Usopp whispered loudly, as if to stop the cook from talking. From letting out the truth.

The cook blew out more smoke. "He should know, Usopp, even if he's a good-for-nothing bastard."

Zoro decided to let go of the insult and wait for their explanation with a stern frown on his face. Luffy remained quiet, allowing his hat to cover his expression.

"Shunsuke-san offered us a deal. He would leave you alone… if we allowed him to take your white katana," the cook explained. Zoro didn't allow him to continue before an expression of pure horror was spread across his face. The cook stopped and studied Zoro's expression. "I know you're mad, but just hear us out-!"

"Mad…?" Zoro muttered quietly, gripping the crutches' handles so tight that his knuckles turned a bright white. "You bastards! Do you even know how much that katana means to me?"

Zoro could hardly express how much rage he was feeling. "I would rather die than let Shunsuke have Kuina's katana!"

"THAT'S WHY WE LET HIM HAVE IT!" Luffy boomed, his eyes wide with fury, as well. "We didn't want him to kill you! What the hell is so wrong with that?"

Zoro spoke quietly, understanding how his captain felt, but knew that his captain didn't understand him. "You don't understand a damn thing. I was going to achieve my dream with that katana. Without it… my dream isn't worth shit."

Luffy said nothing, his face expressing that of a final understanding. "Gomen… Zoro."

Zoro was angry. No… he was beyond angry. Shunsuke knew it was Kuina's sword, so he also knew Zoro was going to get it back from him. He knew Shunsuke couldn't fly for very long, so Zoro knew he'd be at the next island. He'd just have to wait until then.

Later that night, while every Straw Hat member was sleeping, Zoro was in the medical bay, packing things into a small bag. He grabbed the two out of his three katana and stared at them with a grim look on his face. The two of them were important… but he was missing the one that was most important to him. Kuina's sword gave him the feeling that she was always there with him and that she'd be there when he found his dream. Without her katana… all his adventures with his nakama would be for nothing.

"We'll be arriving at the island soon. Nami-swan said so," the cook said, appearing at the entrance to the room, leaning against the door frame. Zoro paused and looked up at him from the edge of his bed. Even so, he said nothing, so the ero-cook continued. "If you go alone, you're going to die."

"You don't know that," Zoro defended, strapping his two remaining katana to his waist.

"Oh, but I do," the stupid cook even forced a smirk, but it quickly disappeared. "And I know that you know that… so, why?"

"Because it's my dream," Zoro answered bluntly, without any hesitation. "And… because I have to do something."

"Do what? What's so important that you have to risk your life for?"

"I need to save him. I'm the one that did this to him, so it's my responsibility to save Shunsuke."

The cook stopped complaining, but after a long silence, he said, "Fine. You're a good-for-nothing bastard, so I guess I'll come with you."

Zoro clicked his tongue. "You're a pretty good-for-nothing yourself, ero-cook."

The cook smirked. "Then I guess we're both good-for-nothings, so we gotta stick together."

Zoro hid his smile underneath the shade of night and threw the backpack over his shoulder. "Damn straight."

**END OF CHAPTER FIVE**


	6. A Broken Sword is Fixed

**Yay! The final chapter! Finally! Anyhoo, some of you may notice that it feels a bit rushed. It took me much longer to write this last chapter because I started up school again, which takes up pretty much all my time. I was afraid that all you fans would just keep waiting and waiting and waiting and forget all about it, so I got a bit nervous. xP So... I'm so sorry if its not all you thought that it would be. It's also very short, but its extremely heart-warming! Enjoy and please comment!**

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><p>If there is ever a time in your life, when a good friend has fallen... it is on your shoulders to smack him around a bit and yank him to his feet whether he liked it or not. Zoro was about to do just that. Of course, the shitty cook was coming along, so things might not go as smoothly, but Zoro was determined to bring back his friend from the pits of hell, even if he had to go down there himself. Zoro and the cook waited until they reached the docks of the next island to sneak off the ship. Only Robin was awake, for she was on guard. Thankfully, Zoro knew she wouldn't spill the beans to everyone else.<p>

It was morning, but the sun still hadn't risen by the time Zoro and the cook reached the village within the island.

"Where do you think he'll be? How the hell are we supposed to find him?" the cook complained, putting his hands in his pockets. Thankfully, everyone in the village was still asleep, so there wasn't any problem with over-crowding.

Zoro looked around. "Shunsuke will probably find us."

"You know me all too well, Zoro!"

Zoro and Sanji turned to look at the top of a nearby house. Shunsuke stood on top of it, a huge grin plastered to his face, and Kuina's katana in his hand.

Zoro frowned angrily once he saw he was holding his precious dream. "You bastard! Shunsuke!" The cook stayed quiet.

"Calm down, Zoro. You're half alive as it is," Shunsuke laughed, gesturing towards Zoro's leg. It was true. Already, his vision was beginning to become blurry and his legs were shaking. He wouldn't be able to hold himself up for much longer. Without his crutches, Zoro moved as slow as a snail. However, despite all of his disabilities at the moment, he knew he'd get through to Shunsuke. No… he had to.

"That's it," the cook's voice was suddenly coated with angry venom. He lit his cigarette and walked in front of Zoro in something similar to a protective position. He put his hands in his pocket and looked up at Shunsuke with eyes filled with anger and frustration. "The idiot marimo isn't stupid enough to realize that he's useless, so I'll be taking his place."

"Taking his place?" Shunsuke repeated, frowning. "You really think I give a damn about someone like you?"

Sanji smirked. "You will when I kick your sorry ass."

"You idiot!" Zoro tried stepping forward to stop the cook, but he froze in pain. However, the pain was far too much. He wasn't even able to yell out as his dazed eyes closed half-way and he fell forward, his wound reopening. Before hitting the ground, face-flat, he landed against something warm and two arms caught him, holding him tightly.

"Zoro… it's alright. Just sleep," Shunsuke whispered, holding up Zoro with ease. Zoro felt the incredible need to sleep. Maybe even forever. If he just closed his eyes, the pain would go away… it would…

"You stupid marimo! Stay awake! Fight it!" the cook's voice yelled into Zoro's ears. _Fight it…_ Zoro's eyes snapped open, he reached underneath Shunsuke's arm, grabbed Kuina's sword and he pierced Shunsuke with it, which immediately loosened his grip on Zoro. Zoro hit the ground, as did Shunsuke. Zoro and Shunsuke were both gasping for breath, Shunsuke more than Zoro.

"Wait here! I'll go get Chopper! You better stay alive until then, stupid marimo!" Sanji yelled and ran off.

Zoro struggled but managed to look up at the sky. "Y-You… idiot… Shun…suke," he muttered, gasping between words. Shunsuke was gripping at his wound, trying to hold the fleeting blood in his body, but to no avail.

"Z-Zoro… why did you…?" Shunsuke whispered, the darkness in his eyes leaving his gaze.

"Because you're… you're my nakama, too. I wanted to save… you," Zoro breathed.

"Save me…? From… what?"

Zoro stared at the blue sky, feeling his emotions pour out into words. "From yourself…"

Complete silence followed, that of understanding. It was a warm silence in which the sun began to rise from the sea's horizon.

Zoro was the one to break the silence. "Can you smell it, Shunsuke?"

"Smell… what?"

"Can you… smell the ocean?"

Shunsuke's eyes widened and tears immediately spilled from his eyes. Joyful tears. Zoro smiled weakly as he heard Shunsuke's faint sobbing. That was when the Straw Hat crew came running up, calling Zoro's name in the distance.

"You have… your own nakama now, huh, Zoro?" Shunsuke smiled, wiping the tears from his face.

Zoro nodded to himself. "Yeah… even though I'm a good-for-nothing… we're all good-for-nothings."

Shunsuke laughed, but started coughing up blood. Zoro frowned and breathed out.

"Are you gonna make it, Shunsuke?"

"Heh… only if you do," Shunsuke replied.

"Zoro!" Chopper was within a few feet and he bent down next to Zoro, examining his leg. "You idiot! What did I tell you? Why'd you have to go off alone?" Chopper even began to cry as he yanked out a bunch of medical supplies from his blue bag. Luffy was the next to come running from the horizon, a look of pure concern and worry written all over his face, which comforted Zoro. Could the quarrel they just had be an argument? Even if it was, Zoro forgave him. He was just happy that he finally got his friend back.

"Sorry… Chopper," that was all Zoro muttered until his mind faded once again and the only thing he could think of, was the smell of the deep, blue sea.

**XXX**

A few days later, after Zoro woke up, he found that Shunsuke had left for the next island without saying goodbye. Thankfully, men didn't care much about emotional goodbyes, but Zoro didn't doubt the fact that he wanted to see his new and improved friend with an actual smile on his face, instead of a fake one. Usopp tried cheering up Zoro by telling him jokes that didn't make any damn sense, but just the fact that he was trying to help was more than enough to make Zoro commit his famous half-smile. However, he wasn't sad. Actually, he was happy. More than happy. Despite not being able to use his leg for over a month, he was happy he met Shunsuke again. He always had a lingering regret about getting Shunsuke involved with fighting, but in the long run, his skills might just save his life.

Zoro stood at the Sunny's bow and inhaled sharply; taking in all the air he could before releasing it with a sigh.

"What are you doing, Zoro? You've been at that for an hour!" Nami complained, not that is was any of her business. However, Zoro was too at peace to argue with the woman.

Zoro turned towards her an oddly enough… smiled. "I'm just smelling the ocean."

Nami stared at him for a second, amazed that he seemed to smile gently. Although... his actions were...

Nami flipped around and with an attitude that only pissed Zoro off, said, "Heh. What a weirdo."

**END OF A BROKEN SWORD **


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